Centering Youth Voice at the 2026 “Stronger Together” Conference
posted on: October 7, 2026
category: Youth Voices
Written by Crystal Blanton, Open Doors Deputy Director
This year’s Stronger Together Conference, organized by the California Alliance of Child & Family Services, brought providers from across the state and beyond to Anaheim to connect, learn, and explore the many issues that impact how we serve children, youth, and families.
The Open Doors team had the opportunity to attend this year’s conference — and, more importantly, to bring four young people with us not only as attendees, but as presenters.
Open Doors Training equips adults who work with and support young people ages 12–25 with practical tools for navigating conversations around substance use and other behavioral health challenges, with youth voice and autonomy at the center of our approach.
Young people also help shape the work through our Youth Council, which gives them opportunities to provide feedback, share their perspectives, and influence Open Doors’ development.
Our Facilitator-in-Training program takes that involvement a step further. This 18-month, paid youth development program supports emerging facilitators ages 18–26 through mentorship, professional development, feedback, and hands-on experience as they prepare to co-facilitate Open Doors Core Trainings.
Eve Valdez, Coatlupe “Lupita” Martinez, Grace Wolfman, and Adriana Segura joined Open Doors team members James Freeman and myself for a presentation and panel discussion, “Engaging Youth Through Intentional Partnership.”
The four young people who joined us represent these two programs and bring a wealth of lived experience, insight, and leadership. Grace helped co-facilitate the first part of the presentation, while Eve facilitated a youth panel exploring their experiences navigating youth programs, systems involvement, and partnerships with adults.
Making Space for Youth to Lead
It was beautiful to watch these intelligent, capable, and insightful young people hold the attention of a room full of providers from across the state. They spoke openly about their experiences and shared what they have learned about what meaningful partnership with young people can (and should) look like.
Throughout the conversation, several themes emerged: value young people’s contributions. Create space for them to have direct influence and involvement. Respect their autonomy. And honor the voices of the people who actually have to live through the circumstances and systems we so often discuss in professional spaces.
Grace spoke about something as simple and as meaningful as simply asking young people what they need:
“Ask us questions. That is what has really differentiated Open Doors for me, and being around adults who respect my existence is just asking me questions and asking what is supportive, and what can help support me…. And giving us grace has been really important.”
— Grace Wolfman
Lupita challenged adults not to underestimate what young people recognize about the support they receive:
“Young people feel everything. We see through y’all (not y’all specifically… but in general). I think a lot of people really underestimate young people and the ways that we know what’s best for us, and we also know when folks are supporting us in a way that isn’t working for us.”
— Coatlupe “Lupita” Martinez
Eve reflected on what she has learned through working alongside other young people and the Open Doors team:
“We are all leaders in our communities, and it has deepened my understanding specifically, with all my peers who have struggled with a vast variety of substances and different journeys, different experiences, and learning collectively in partnership with the Open Doors staff on best practices.”
— Eve Valdez
And Adriana shared how her involvement with Open Doors has carried into her own life:
“I want to say I love Open Doors. I observed the training and gave feedback. I have also co-facilitated along with some facilitators. And I have used everything I have learned from the training in my own personal life with my little brother and being supportive in the decisions that he makes.”
— Adriana Segura
From Youth Voice to Youth Partnership
The adults in the room were treated to something we don’t see often enough: young people authentically and directly sharing some of the harder truths that need to be spoken in adult spaces.
They challenged us to think beyond the paperwork, the files, the trainings, and the productivity of our work. They reminded us to center the humanity and voices of young people who are navigating incredibly challenging life circumstances, and to recognize them as partners in the work rather than simply recipients of services.
Youth voice cannot just mean creating opportunities for young people to tell their stories. Meaningful partnership requires making space for young people to influence the programs, decisions, and systems that affect their lives.
“Where Are the Youth?”
After the conference, I asked Grace what she was taking away from the experience. Her answer captured something I hope all of us working in youth-serving spaces continue to think about:
“Youth are never involved in these events, so to be there with my peers was really empowering. These conferences are about youth, so we have to keep asking ourselves, ‘Where are the youth?’”
It is a simple question, but an important one.
When we gather to talk about young people, design programs for young people, make decisions that affect young people, or imagine how systems serving young people could work better, where are the youth?
May we continue challenging ourselves to create more space for young people not only to be present, but to lead, influence, question, teach, and be heard… and may we listen deeply when they do.
Written by:
Crystal Blanton
Deputy Director, Open Doors Training
